Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008: Detroit in pictures

2008 brought some dark days, that's for damn certain. Still, if you needed cheering up, and by you we mostly mean us, there was always the lobby of the Guardian Building.

It's hard to see just how Detroit is withering away, when you're waiting for a table at the Russell Street Cafe on Saturdays.

The new Mercury Coffee Bar on Michigan is expensive, but it's also smart, sexy and you get what you pay for. Plus, eating panini and sipping espresso with a view to the train station? Very Detroit 2.0. Beta, but still.

The revival of the Book Cadillac was nothing short of a miracle. Also miraculous: The buzz in here on a weekend evening. Remarkable. It's like being in a real city. Really - kudos.

Not to put too much pressure on this strip of Michigan, but with Slows Bar BQ (far left) and the Mercury (see above) across the street, you're looking at one of the hottest corners in town.

Down at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, it was TTFN Kwame and hola Ken doll, not to mention welcome back Spirit of Detroit, looking extra nifty at fifty, yes?

The Cass Corridor continued to limp along, reminding everyone that while you can put all your energy into killing off a neighborhood, there are no guarantees it'll actually happen.

The revamped Detroit Institute of Arts is busier than ever, but reports that it may be headed for some financial trouble.

Times are tough, but that didn't stop Torya Blanchard from opening a crepe stand downtown.

Shelby Street continued to look good, particularly with the Book Cadillac down the end there, getting all remodeled and stuff.

Belle Isle's Scott Fountain takes a licking, keeps on ticking. Kind of like Detroit, you know?

Anyway. Enough sap. Happy New Year everyone. Not that it'll do any good, but what the hell, let's cross fingers for brighter days ahead.

Whatever happens, we'll be here, watching it all go down. Chiming in, of course, whether or not anyone wants to hear our two cents. Thanks for reading!